by K. A. Poe
My mouth moved to speak, but nothing came out. What was I supposed to say in response to that? “You have been waiting over a hundred years for me?” I said in disbelief.
“Apparently so,” he replied. “When Janet and Mark came to me, they brought a picture of you so that I would be able to identify you at school. I was awestruck when I saw it was the girl Raziel had shown me.”
“That's why you’re so protective of me, and why you have been so eager to be around me.”
“That definitely has something to do with it,” we stopped walking abruptly and Salem pulled me close against his body.
I looked up at him, “That's why you find me so ‘intriguing’.”
“Indeed,” he smiled, his eyes lingering on my own for a mere moment before cautiously brushing his cold lips against mine. I shut my eyes and returned the gesture, wrapping my arms around him in a tight embrace. My fingers ran through his silky hair as we shared another kiss. I wanted the moment to last forever but he suddenly pulled away. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.
Why was he apologizing? I shook my head, “What for?”
“That was inappropriate,” he said, averting his eyes.
I laughed. “Salem, there was nothing wrong about it. I know you come from a different time, where that might have been considered inappropriate, but really-” My words were swept away by the touch of his lips against mine again.
“I'm not sorry, then,” he grinned as our lips parted once more, and he looked toward the sky, “You missed your party, I am almost certain.”
My mind was void of any thoughts other than this moment until he mentioned the party. I was far too giddy at the fact that I had experienced my first kiss, even if it was not quite how I had thought it would be. I was unsure about the idea that we were somehow meant to be together, destined to have met. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that at all, or if I truly believed it, but at this moment I didn't care. Soul mates or not, I knew that I wanted little more than to explore this relationship with Salem. “How long have we been out here?” I wondered. Glancing at my watch, I gasped. “It's after midnight?!”
“Time flies when you are having fun they say, right?” he smiled pleasantly and leapt down from a small embankment into the water we had been sitting over earlier, the impact splashing chilling water up at me. I had been so caught up in his story that I had not realized the path had looped us back to where we started.
I shivered from the touch of the icy water, and even more so as he lifted me up from the ground and cradled me in his arms – I could feel the coldness of his skin through the material of his shirt. With how thin he was, it was difficult to believe he could so effortlessly hold my weight. I wound my arms around his neck as he carried me back to his house.
The old Victorian was invitingly warm as we entered - I half-expected Salem to put me down when we got over the threshold, but he didn't let go. I grew nervous as he smirked and carried me up the spiral staircase. I had never been to the top floor, but that wasn't what made me nervous.
“You really shouldn't be so anxious, Alexis. You know I wouldn't drop you.” He playfully pretended like he was going to drop me and I nearly shrieked.
“Don't do that!” I said, gripping ever-tighter to his body. “And you can just call me Alex, you know.”
He smiled apologetically as we reached the top of the stairs. A deep red rug ran along the hallway. Framed pictures lined the walls; three of which depicted different people that I could only assume were Salem's relatives. I wanted to stop and look but he continued walking down the hall, passed an opened door to a restroom on the left, then a closed door on the right – which I could only guess was a bedroom. Finally we approached the last door at the end of the hall.
He pushed it open and I was amazed by what I saw.
12. SEEKING THE TRUTH
The floor in the room appeared to be glass, a crystal-clear mirror reflecting everything that touched its surface. A queen-sized canopy bed sat in the center of the room draped in shining silk black sheets and blankets. Matching pillow cases covered the four pillows that rested atop the mattress. The posts holding up the bed were spiraled silver bars that held up matching silk curtains which enclosed the bed. Two identical black nightstands sat on either side of the bed.
My eyes were fixed on the floor now, watching our reflections following us through the dim-lit room. It took me a moment to realize there was a chandelier dangling from the ceiling. Salem gently placed me on the bed, tugged the covers from beneath me and draped them across my body. The smooth silky texture felt amazing against my skin. I turned over onto my side, facing the wall and relaxing my head against the cool texture of the pillows.
“Is this your room, Salem?” I asked, shutting my eyes tiredly.
“Yes, although I don't put much use to it,” he said quietly as he sat on the opposite side of the bed behind me. He ran his cold fingers through my hair and a smile spread across my lips as he asked, “Would you like to stay in the bedroom this time?”
“I already regret telling you no the first night you offered to let me stay in one of the bedrooms,” I laughed lightly as I enjoyed his gentle touch.
“You are always welcome to stay here,” he whispered. I could feel him closer to me now. I tensed slightly as he lay on the bed and wrapped an arm delicately around my torso. Not only was this all new to me, but there was always still that little nagging deep down that he could hurt me at any moment. “If you are uncomfortable, I can leave.”
“No, I'm plenty comfortable,” I said as I relaxed a little. “I'm just not used to any of this.”
“Neither am I,” he confessed.
I turned my head to look at him, “After these hundred years, you have never been with anyone like this?”
“I've been waiting for you, my twin soul,” he replied quietly.
“Twin soul...” I muttered the words sleepily. “I like that.”
“Good,” he smiled again and kissed me gently on the cheek. “Get some sleep. You can call to apologize to Jason tomorrow.”
“Oh, no...” I moaned, about to sit up. Salem held me down.
“There's no point in bothering him now, Alexis. He is probably asleep or at least on his way home from the party,” he assured me.
“You're right,” I sighed, shut my eyes and fell asleep in Salem's embrace.
When I woke up, I found Salem lying beside me, his arm still around my waist. I almost jumped up until the memory of the previous night quickly rushed back to me. Instead, I turned over and smiled happily at him. “I was certain I was dreaming again.”
“Well, if you are, I hope you never wake up,” he kissed me gently on the forehead. “You should call Jason after you have eaten.”
“I will,” I mumbled as I stretched. “What's for breakfast?”
“It's already been taken care of,” he grinned. I eyed him suspiciously, noting the purple flash in his eyes. “Follow me downstairs.”
Resting on the dining table was a plate of French toast triangles sprinkled with powdered sugar, a small portion of strawberries, and a glass of orange juice. Beside the plate was a glass vase with a single red rose in it. I blushed at Salem as he took my hand and led me to the table. “You shouldn't have...” I said quietly, admiring the food hungrily.
“It isn't as if I slaved over a stove to make it,” he smirked, “hopefully you still enjoy it just the same.”
“Of course I will!” I insisted and sat down. Salem sat across from me and watched me eat. I savored each bite. “Do you eat regular food?” I said after swallowing a mouthful of toast.
“No, it serves little purpose.”
“Do you miss it?”
“Certainly...” he frowned, “But at the same time it's better for my diet!”
We both shared a good laugh at that and I finished my meal. Salem then passed me the same phone I had used last night and I redialed Jason's number. It took longer this time for him to answer.
“Hello?” Jason’s groggy v
oice came through the cell.
“Hey Jace, how was the party?”
“It was fantastic!” he said excitedly. “It's too bad you didn't make it, though. Are you sure you are doing all right? Where were you?”
“Yeah, I'm fine,” I replied casually. “I'm glad you had a good time. I just wanted to say that I was sorry for missing out on it.”
“It's all right. Maybe you'll be there next time,” he sounded hopeful. “I will come later to clean up, I promise.”
“It's still a mess?”
“Just a little,” he laughed lightly. “Don't worry about it; I’ll take care of it. Now are you going to tell me where you were?”
I quickly thought up an answer, “I was out driving, and I guess I lost track of time. There's just been so much on my mind lately.”
“Oh. I understand,” he paused, “Well, I'm just glad you're okay.”
There was that phrase again – I understand. I knew they didn’t, they couldn’t. I wished I could tell Karen and him everything. “I’ll be fine. Hey listen, I need to run a few errands, but I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay, have fun!”
I put the phone down and stared across the table at Salem. His mind seemed to be elsewhere at the moment and I frowned. “Salem...” I said it quietly, part of me not wanting to disturb him. He blinked and looked at me.
“Yes?”
“I'm beyond late for school,” I said as I looked down at my watch. It was after noon. Jason must have skipped school, too.
“Problem solved,” he smiled, although looking somewhat ashamed. “I called in for you. You are sick with the flu, if you weren't aware.”
“Oh, I am, huh?” I laughed and shook my head.
“Yes, and you are strictly on bed rest.”
“I’m not entirely against that idea,” I replied, reflecting on how comfortable the bed upstairs was.
“I have this nagging feeling that you are correct about the attacks in Denver,” he said suddenly, extracting me from my comforting thoughts. “I thought about all you had said as I laid with you last night.”
“But what can we do about it?”
“Something I would much rather avoid,” he scowled, staring blankly at the dining room table. “You need to request that Paul takes you to see Janet...he will know whether Mark is the cause.”
My eyes widened. “You want me to go to Denver? With Paul?”
“Either that or try to convince Paul to go on his own.”
“I'll try.” I stared at my half-empty plate. “Where can I throw away the rest of this?”
“Don’t worry about it. I will take care of it,” he said, grabbed the plate and dumped it and the remains in a trash bin that was concealed behind one of the mahogany cabinets.
“When should I try to talk to Paul?”
“Anytime - the sooner the better.”
I nodded. “I guess I’ll drive over to the shop.”
I left Salem's house reluctantly, but promised I would return as soon as possible. The drive along the winding road was becoming more familiar and less scary. The thought of going to Denver both thrilled and terrified me. It was a sudden decision, but Salem was right – it had to be done, before it was too late.
During the drive my mind kept going back to what Salem had told me. Twin Souls. I liked him, but what was I getting myself into. I had never imagined myself in a serious relationship before, let alone a destined life-long commitment. And how could I, after all that I had seen with Janet and Desmond…or Paul and my real mother, even? One relationship broken by lust and one by death. I wasn’t sure any of the feelings I was starting to have for Salem was worth the pain I had witnessed in Janet’s or Paul’s eyes. Salem did seem so nice though…so sincere in his feelings. Before I could think about the subject anymore I was approaching the auto shop and my thoughts switched to the task at hand.
Paul was at work today, thankfully. I could see his figure moving around behind the glass windows. He was talking animatedly to a female customer. I left the Alero in the parking lot and discreetly entered the store, aiming straight for the air freshener aisle again. I listened patiently to him and the customer as I waited. Once their conversation ended, I turned around the end of the aisle and nearly bumped into my father.
“Alex!” he shouted in shock. “What a nice surprise.”
“Hey,” I greeted him casually, “could we talk...in private?”
“Of course.”
The back room was identical to how it was two days prior. It felt like it had been so much longer ago. I leaned back in the familiar chair as he took his seat behind the desk again. I fidgeted anxiously as I tried to decide what to say to him.
“Is everything all right?” he asked in a caring voice.
“Yeah, I'm fine...I just need to ask you a favor.”
“I'll do anything you need me to, Alex, you know that.”
“Have you been keeping up to date with what’s going on in Denver?”
“I have,” his voice held a hint of anger, “and I've been seriously thinking about taking a trip there, actually.”
“That's...sort of why I came here. I think it's really important that you – or we – go and figure out what’s going on over there.”
“You want to go to Denver with me?” He looked stunned.
“Only if you want, or need me to.”
“The more hunters the better!”
I frowned at the term. I wouldn't be there to hunt; I would be there to protect Janet and to establish a cause for these horrific deaths. “Is there anyone else that can go with us? I don’t think I’d be much help if it turns out…you know.”
“My sister – your aunt – Kim, she’s one of us,” he motioned toward a picture frame sitting on his desk. It held a photograph of him and a woman with startling green eyes and brilliant red hair.
“That's my aunt?” I asked in awe. “She is gorgeous.”
He chuckled. “She'd love to meet you, Alex. I’ve told her so much about you.”
“Well, get a hold of her as soon as possible and let's make plans to go to Denver before things get worse.”
“Sounds like a plan to me...but, you'll end up missing out on a few days of school.”
“It's okay. I'll make up for it.”
He looked unconvinced at first, but agreed. “I'll get Kim on the phone right away. Why don't you go grab a soda from the machine?”
I nodded and left the back room. The soda machine was outside in the front of the store. While I was browsing the selection, I had the feeling someone was watching me. From the corner of my eye, I could see the shape of someone standing beside me. As I put in my fifty cents I silently hoped they were just waiting in line for the machine. The soda rolled out at the bottom of the machine and I grabbed it, hesitating a moment before turning around.
“Oh, Kate...it's just you,” I smiled warmly.
“Hey!” The pink-haired woman grinned at me. “My shift starts in ten minutes. This is day seven of my work week and I am so ready for some days off.”
“Seven days in a row?” I asked in shock.
“Yep. Hopefully someone else gets hired on to manage the counter soon because I’m really getting sick of all this work. I appreciate the cash, but working with no days off is going to drive me insane!”
“It would do the same to me,” I said as I twisted the cap from my beverage and took a swig. I was grateful that Paul opened the door to get my attention and dragged me away from the conversation. It wasn't that I had a problem with talking to Kate, but there were more important matters at hand.
“Kim says she is ready whenever,” my father said quietly as he led me back to the room. “I can set up a flight for as early as tomorrow if you’re really up to it.”
“The sooner the better, right?”
“Right,” he smirked. “I’m so glad you are on board with this.”
If only he knew I wasn't. I sighed quietly, hoping he didn't notice.
“I'll handle the f
light arrangements; you head home and pack yourself a bag. You won't need much, maybe a change of clothes or two and your bathroom stuff.”
“Should I meet you at the trailer tomorrow?”
“No, I'll just meet you at your house.”
I frowned. This meant I wouldn't be spending the night at Salem's. “Okay, I'll be there.”
13. DENVER
Salem kept me company and helped me pack. I could tell he was nervous about me leaving, no matter how many times I assured him I would be all right. He paced around my room as I collected my bathroom items and stuffed them in my book bag.
“I could come with you,” he suggested.
“Paul would recognize you in a second.”
“You're right,” he sighed. “I just don't feel comfortable with you being amongst them.”
I wasn't sure whether he meant my father and aunt or the possible vampire lurking around Denver - maybe both. After my bag was fully packed we both sat on the edge of my bed, our hands intertwined.
“I'll be safe, I promise.”
“Unfortunately, that is not a promise you can keep on your own,” he said smugly. “Try to stay at the hospital while Paul does his...work...”
“That's a good idea,” I replied. “I can stay with Janet. I should call to check where she’s staying.”
“Go ahead,” he offered me the cell phone. “You should take this with you, also. I have one of my own that you can reach me at. The number is already in there,” he smiled.
“Thanks,” I returned the expression as I dialed Janet's number. “Hey, mom-”
“How many times do I have to tell you that she is fine?” Mark growled.
“I-I just wanted to talk to her,” I said in shock, “just for a second.”
“Fine, but make it quick.”
“Alex?” I was relieved to hear Janet's voice. “How are you doing honey?”
“Where are you at, mom?”
“Just at a hospital here in Denver. It's not that important, really.”
